According to prominent labor / sports attorney and author, Jim Quinn, who has been involved in the fight for free agency in all 4 major sports and was recently on an OBI podcast, this was Mike's reaction to free agency becoming a reality in the NFL:

“The one memory I have; and this goes back to when we were fighting about free agency early on and we actually won the first case and we were trying to reach a settlement that would allow free agency and some kind of a salary cap; I remember being in a conference room in the airport in Dallas-Fort Worth,” Quinn recalled.

“And, Mike Brown was one of the owners that was on their negotiating committee—there are a number of difficult owners, including Al Davis, who was a superstar difficult person—but, we were sitting around the room trying to debate different issues. At some point, even though we had already won the case, Mike Brown just shook his head, looked at Gene Upshaw (Pro Football Hall of Fame player, former NFLPA Executive Director) and me and said ‘I’m never ever going to agree to this. Never. I think it’s wrong, I think I should have control over my players,” Quinn said.

“I remember looking at Upshaw and saying: ‘this guy is crazy’”.

Mike Brown still basically operates this way.
He's so against free agency.
He wants the draft to be the end-all, be-all and then ride or die with your drafted players.
I cannot wait until he's no longer around the team.

(11-08-2019, 04:51 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Mike Brown still basically operates this way.
He's so against free agency.
He wants the draft to be the end-all, be-all and then ride or die with your drafted players.
I cannot wait until he's no longer around the team.

well it this offseason was any indication of how Katie/Paul/Troy/Duke hand free agency  I might like MB's way better.

(11-08-2019, 04:52 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: well it this offseason was any indication of how Katie/Paul/Troy/Duke hand free agency  I might like MB's way better.

Yeah, the way they chose to spend money this offseason was a little perplexing to say the least. What other team would have gave Hart or Webb those types of deals? I think it's safe to say that both could have been signed for half (or less) of what they got.

(11-08-2019, 04:56 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Yeah, the way they chose to spend money this offseason was a little perplexing to say the least. What other team would have gave Hart or Webb those types of deals? I think it's safe to say that both could have been signed for half (or less) of what they got.

Baby steps. At least they're using free agency. Right? RIGHT? TELL ME THERE'S HOPE!!!!

(11-08-2019, 05:15 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Baby steps. At least they're using free agency. Right? RIGHT? TELL ME THERE'S HOPE!!!!

It's almost like they just threw out crazy, head scratching deals to undeserving players in order to say 'see, we spent some money and used some of the cap'. 

(11-08-2019, 05:19 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: It's almost like they just threw out crazy, head scratching deals to undeserving players in order to say 'see, we spent some money and used some of the cap'. 

Which is what I don't get. Sign a guy like Jordan Hicks instead of Preston Brown and Webb, etc.

They did spend money...just didn't get a good return.

(11-08-2019, 05:19 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: It's almost like they just threw out crazy, head scratching deals to undeserving players in order to say 'see, we spent some money and used some of the cap'. 

Well they do have to spend 90% of the cap over the course of 4 years, so....

(11-08-2019, 05:19 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: It's almost like they just threw out crazy, head scratching deals to undeserving players in order to say 'see, we spent some money and used some of the cap'. 

Don't forget the Gio contract as well.

 

(11-08-2019, 04:51 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Mike Brown still basically operates this way.
He's so against free agency.
He wants the draft to be the end-all, be-all and then ride or die with your drafted players.
I cannot wait until he's no longer around the team.

You really think things are going to change? There's no way. Katie and Troy take after their father. They have shown nothing that says otherwise. 

Hell, Troy Blackburn was the one defending the Bobby Hart signing in the off season. They are all inept. 

(11-08-2019, 05:32 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: You really think things are going to change? There's no way. Katie and Troy take after their father. They have shown nothing that says otherwise. 

Hell, Troy Blackburn was the one defending the Bobby Hart signing in the off season. They are all inept. 

I used to be one of those people who was optimistic about Troy and Katie taking over, but after seeing Troy's statements in the offseason and the fact that Katie has supposedly been much more involved since around 2014/15...I'm not very optimistic at all that things are gonna change in any meaningful way. I have a feeling like it will basically be a continuation of Mike's style...just bottled and sold with slightly different flavor and packaging. At the end of the day though...the ingredients are still BROWN! 

(11-08-2019, 05:32 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: You really think things are going to change? There's no way. Katie and Troy take after their father. They have shown nothing that says otherwise. 

Hell, Troy Blackburn was the one defending the Bobby Hart signing in the off season. They are all inept. 

Fair, but still won't have to see Mike Brown 

Man how awesome would it be if we could convince these clowns to sell the organization to the city? It'd be like a dream come true.

(11-08-2019, 05:41 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: I used to be one of those people who was optimistic about Troy and Katie taking over, but after seeing Troy's statements in the offseason and the fact that Katie has supposedly been much more involved since around 2014/15...I'm not very optimistic at all that things are gonna change in any meaningful way. I have a feeling like it will basically be a continuation of Mike's style...just bottled and sold with slightly different flavor and packaging. At the end of the day though...the ingredients are still BROWN! 

Yep, I was in that same camp, thinking things would change once MB stepped down. Now I highly doubt there's any change at all. In fact it might even get worse. 

It really is just beyond words how inept this F.O. is and sure seems will continue to be.

(11-08-2019, 06:11 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Fair, but still won't have to see Mike Brown 

Yeah, but he's just so damn adorable...

(11-08-2019, 06:32 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Yep, I was in that same camp, thinking things would change once MB stepped down. Now I highly doubt there's any change at all. In fact it might even get worse. 

It really is just beyond words how inept this F.O. is and sure seems will continue to be.

Man, I hope - REALLY hope - that Katie and crew prove us wrong, but if not and the ineptness continues...then damn.

(11-08-2019, 06:40 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Yeah, but he's just so damn adorable...

hes like our own care bear

(11-08-2019, 04:56 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Yeah, the way they chose to spend money this offseason was a little perplexing to say the least. What other team would have gave Hart or Webb those types of deals? I think it's safe to say that both could have been signed for half (or less) of what they got.

Or Brown

(11-08-2019, 05:32 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: You really think things are going to change? There's no way. Katie and Troy take after their father. They have shown nothing that says otherwise. 

Hell, Troy Blackburn was the one defending the Bobby Hart signing in the off season. They are all inept. 

It will change somewhat but is that somewhat enough? Probably not.

(11-08-2019, 03:46 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: According to prominent labor / sports attorney and author, Jim Quinn, who has been involved in the fight for free agency in all 4 major sports and was recently on an OBI podcast, this was Mike's reaction to free agency becoming a reality in the NFL:

“The one memory I have; and this goes back to when we were fighting about free agency early on and we actually won the first case and we were trying to reach a settlement that would allow free agency and some kind of a salary cap; I remember being in a conference room in the airport in Dallas-Fort Worth,” Quinn recalled.

“And, Mike Brown was one of the owners that was on their negotiating committee—there are a number of difficult owners, including Al Davis, who was a superstar difficult person—but, we were sitting around the room trying to debate different issues. At some point, even though we had already won the case, Mike Brown just shook his head, looked at Gene Upshaw (Pro Football Hall of Fame player, former NFLPA Executive Director) and me and said ‘I’m never ever going to agree to this. Never. I think it’s wrong, I think I should have control over my players,” Quinn said.

“I remember looking at Upshaw and saying: ‘this guy is crazy’”.

I'd love a reporter to question Mike Brown about this quote. Did he reallyu say that? Does he still think that? What are his honest thoughts about free agency? I know it won't happen but just to see his reaction might be enough for me.